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In a matter of seconds, Mira found herself more than ten meters above the ground, where she desperately moved her body around and used Sky Stride to steady herself, and when she made sure there were no followup attacks, she went down to the ground to check on him again.

He still looked out of it, unable to get up on his feet, but there was a thin shadow covering him.

(Was that also part of Id’s Phantom then?)

As far as Mira knew, Id’s Phantom was activated automatically, and then acted of its own accord. But that was three decades in the past, and Mira did not know how the ability had evolved since then.

At the very least, it had been able to control Fuzzy Dice’s actual body this time.

「You really aren’t someone ordinary…」

Mira carefully approached him, while he remained unmoving, without even looking her way. Id’s Phantom would not attack her unless she went within a certain distance of him.

While Mira tried to think of a new plan to fully disperse that shadow without harming him too much, all of it dispersed away.

「Wait…time out…」

Fuzzy Dice muttered that, holding his palm to Mira as he wobbled on his feet. There was a chance it was just an excuse to buy time, but Mira believed Fuzzy Dice would never stoop so low as to use such tactics, so she stood still.

「What, do you surrender?」

A faint hope that he realized Mira was too powerful and would choose to tell her everything welled up within her, but he just said, 「Honestly I’m considering that,」 and took a short pause before continuing.

「Spirit Queen, I’d like to ask you something. Depending on how you reply, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.」

Standing upright, he looked directly at Mira and said that.

(He wants to ask something?)

Mira became slightly suspicious, wondering what he would want to know, but also knowing that she once again had a chance to learn what she wanted.

「I won’t tell you the reason for my search.」
「Yes, I know that much.」

She said that just in case, and Fuzzy Dice nodded. Other than that, Mira could not think of any other questions he might have.

「Then, what is it you want to know?」

When Mira asked that again, Fuzzy Dice looked around for a short while, and when he found what he was looking for, he pointed there.

「There, that Cait Sith. He’s the First Lieutenant, isn’t he?」

He was pointing at the First Lieutenant, who was currently on a low stance and watching vigilantly for a moment to strike. But when he realized that his spot had been found, he let out a meow and tried to pretend there was nothing but a cat there.

「…That ridiculous reaction leads me to believe I’m right, but am I?」

He seemed convinced about something as he looked at Mira, waiting for her response. At the same time, she understood what he was trying to ask.

「If you know the First Lieutenant, then… I see, I had a hunch too… You’re Hoshizaki Subaru!」

The moment Mira mentioned that name, Fuzzy Dice’s demeanor changed instantly.

「Exactly! I’m a streak of light through the darkness! The glimmer of righteousness, Hoshizaki Subaru, Star Justice himself!」

It was like he had changed into a completely different person. From his collected coolness into a passionate person obsessed with heroes.

「For a while, I suspected it was you all along…」

Mira chuckled in disbelief. She had suspected it was him, but she had no proof. The main reason why she never said anything was because of Fuzzy Dice’s character, which did not match his passion and obsession for heroes. They were like polar opposites.

But now she knows for sure. Fuzzy Dice’s identity was one of the Nine Wisemen, Lastrada the Mysterious. Hoshizaki Subaru was not his real name either, but the hero name he had chosen for himself.

「I’m also surprised though. That general of old has turned into more of a heroine!」 He laughed heartily for a moment, before looking at Mira again and lifting a thumb up, adding, 「That cuteness is justice itself!」

The First Lieutenant was rather unique amongst Cait Sith, enough that Fuzzy Dice/Star Justice had been able to tell it was Danbulf in front of him, even if nothing about Mira resembled her past persona as Danbulf.

「I’d rather not talk about that.」

Mira grimaced as she said that, and then got rid of Vermilion Frame before thanking all of the summons waiting nearby and sending them away. There was no reason to keep fighting now that she knew Fuzzy Dice was Lastrada.

Lastrada did the same, canceling all the spells he had active.

「Things are easier now that I know the thief was you all along.」

Mira’s mission also included finding him, so she no longer needed to find an ambiguous and indirect way of asking about the orphanage. She could be straightforward and ask if Artesia was there.

「Actually, I’ve been-」

She was interrupted before she could say she had been looking for the lost Nine Wisemen.

「Hey, over here! There’s people here!」
「Bring some light!」

Some voices came from the direction of the city.

「Oh, it seems they won’t give us enough time to talk at ease!」

Looking there, they saw a large number of guards and adventurers rushing in their direction. They had heard all of the flashbangs Mira had used, so they were worried something bad was happening.

Seeing that, Lastrada quickly took off the top of his outfit and turned it inside out, put on a mask, and changed his demeanor to once again resemble Fuzzy Dice.

「Really…that’s how it worked the whole time?」

Fuzzy Dice’s iconic attire looked like it was a complex design with many layers, so Mira was shocked to see that it was actually just a single reversible top.

「Anyway, I’ll tell you everything later. Just wait for some time. I’ll contact you myself!」

With those last words, Lastrada threw something at Mira.

「What? …Wait, what’s this?!」

Mira caught it by reflex, and stared at it puzzled. Lastrada had given her a pendant with abundant gemstones on it. When she wanted to ask what that was for, everything around them was illuminated.

「There, it’s Fuzzy Dice!」
「And the Spirit Queen too! She chased him all the way here!」

Some guards had arrived with lights, showing that there were multiple units of soldiers and guards rushing there.

「Well, take care of the rest for me.」 Lastrada added that in a low voice before jumping away with exaggerated movements.

「I’m truly at a disadvantage now. I see why you’re known as the Spirit Queens amongst adventurers now, but it’s time to end our little game.」

Then he assumed Fuzzy Dice’s persona and announced that loudly so the guards could hear it as well, before spreading something all around him. A large amount of fog emanated from that, spreading all around them.

「Until next time, gentlemen!」

While everyone was blinded by the fog, Fuzzy Dice’s voice echoed and grew distant as he vanished in the darkness. That really was an exit befitting of a phantom thief.

(…Well, at least I figured out who he is, so I’ll take that as a win.)

Mira had not been able to learn the information she wanted, but instead she learned something connected to it, and maybe more valuable even. Fuzzy Dice was Lastrada the Mysterious, one of the Nine Wisemen. Mira had been tailing Artesia, so finding another Wiseman on the way was a lucky coincidence.

The only downside was that they only got mere moments to talk.

(Exactly what did he mean later? A day or two? Or more…)

As Mira wondered about all that, the fog cleared and Mira saw some soldiers with the Cross-Border Legislator assigned to follow Fuzzy Dice running her way.